Love, They Say
by axcel-lili
Summary: Don't you find his gestures a little romantic?


**Disclaimer Note: the characters are Masashi Kishimoto's, I just dragged them out while he's not looking.**

**I love this couple.**

**:::**

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><p><strong>Love, They Say<strong>

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><p><strong>:::<strong>

Kushina is on the street, leading a group of worn-out Chunin to a nearby newly open restaurant.

Although her threesome students have already displayed their great skills and endurance for a ninja, training under the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero is simply unnerving. What surprised them today is, after their rigorous training, their sensei made a cheeky promise to treat them ramen.

If only they didn't know, this mighty warrior of a woman just wants a company.

'Aren't we there yet, sensei?' one of her students impatiently inquires, hands folded behind his head.

Kushina peers down at them, grinning.

'Just a few more energetic strides, kid.' She resumes in her humming, in which any passerby would say that it's particularly out of tune.

The famous Uzumaki walks nonchalantly, her long apple-red hair swaying off her hips, remaining oblivious of everyone's stares and whispers. Sure, she is infamous in Konoha. She has a running reputation of being dangerously wild when upset, which is proven just a week ago when she sent three upperclassmen to the hospital after beating them out of a reason she had dramatically forgotten midway. And her amazingly red hair is a head-turner; you wouldn't find any hair much redder than hers in the entire population of the Leaf Village.

But these are not the reasons—as much as she would also probably knew—why the ogling people had their eyes on her.

Kushina and her company turns in the corner, her grin grows wider. _Ah, finally!_ She mentally thinks when the restaurant comes in sight. She absentmindedly slaps her tummy. She really has to eat now.

But then, out of the possibilities she has to foresee, she spots a terrifyingly familiar spiky bright hair that comes from the opposite direction—with a small group of little ninjas tagging along his back—which in her intelligent guess will also be heading to the same restaurant.

_Out of all place, WHY HERE?!_

She stops in her tracks; her jaw ungracefully drops in a fraction. It would be best if she could find a manhole soon and hide in it. But to her absolute mortification, a goggles-wearing boy deafeningly announces her horrified existence to his teacher.

'AAAH! IT'S KUSHINA-SAN, MINATO-SENSEI!'

As if on cue, all within the ten meter radius stops in their business, everyone paying her a glance or two—horrible passersby, old folks, chatty ladies, nonchalant ninjas and a blonde Minato, of course, is apparently included.

The future Fourth Hokage's head snapped to her direction. She sees him smile while her complexion turns into a humorous shade of purple.

The mahogany-haired medic-nin launches her hands in a generous wave in the still air.

And the boy of weird white hair didn't even move a muscle, disinterestedly looking through his half-lidded eyes –just a sight that's plain unnerving.

_GAAHHHH! That loud-mouthed bastard!_

Before Minato could step a gallant forward, Kushina alarmingly turns around, facing her bewildered students with a flustered expression out of the blue.

'W-we're sprinting back to the training grounds, wimps!' she screams at them desperately, suddenly finding a reason to run.

All of them gives a groan of almighty dissatisfaction but follows her anyway—albeit grumblingly, leaving a blonde on his spot with a sunken heart.

**x ::: x**

'You can't stay like this forever, you know that.'

Kushina, who is hugging her knees, shots a sharp glance to the carefree speaker over her shoulder.

'May I join you here?' asks the girl of unbelievably raven hair.

'Mikoto, there's no use of asking that if you're already here sitting next to me' Kushina voices out, petulantly rubbing the ground with the slim stick in her hand. Her new sensible seatmate is trying to figure out what in the world is she drawing in the dirt. She knows her brows are equally disoriented as well as hers, which she knows and doesn't have to throw a glance to prove she's awesomely right.

'Ah, here I'm actually thinking I might help you' Mikoto utters after eyeing the dismal waves in the ground, melodramatically dismay at the obstinacy and denial things of her friend. She props her chin on her elbow, whispering intentionally suspicious at the clouds above them 'I kind of pity Minato.'

Kushina's stick frighteningly breaks in half, her scarlet brows disappears high beneath her bangs.

'You're choosing him rather than _ME_? I thought you're such a compassionate and considerate and caring although ominously unruffled friend, _you know_?

'Back then, it was cute and adorable but you see, Minato has now figured out the guts to tell you his feelings!'

Ugh! This is exactly the reason why she's here sulking, isolated in the humongous jungle of Hidden Leaf and pulling chunks of her hair much to her utter chagrin. Every time she hears his name, her knees go a little gooey and her heart pumps a little crazy and she wishes not to be reminded about the little stupid incident that happened three days ago.

'Hearing that from your mouth makes me shudder…' she said blushingly and Mikoto is just amusedly watching her blush disappear only to be replace by frown 'Ugh…but I t-think he's just making fun of me?' she ends skeptical at her own words.

Mikoto slams her palm on her forehead, her dark bangs swinging on her side.

'W-what?' she spats, oblivious at her own obliviousness. 'He just…it was too soon, you know a-and it's supposed to be a secret-'

'OH, COME ON! The whole village already knew!' cries impatiently the newly stand person from behind the thick bushes.

Kushina exclaims with comically wide eyes, her hair standing abruptly from sudden shock.

Tsume, the bold talkative lass from Inuzuka clan grits her teeth with squeezed shut eyes, ignorant on how the dead leaves stuck unattractively on her spiky, untamed hair. And with a clenched fist in the mid-air, she presumptuously speaks again.

'You're such slow on the uptake! You know, Minato just practically announced it in front of the unsuspecting crowd, and duhh?! Why in front of a ramen shop?! He was totally ins— AAAAH!'

The mighty Tsume curls in pain after an Almighty Fist landed hard on her thick skull.

'I told you to shut it! Now you blew our cover!' another insane person comes out, this time it's Yoshino. Tsume's giving a speech! It gives her the creeps; thankfully she managed to end the speech doom halfway.

'JUST WHEN DID YOU START EAVESDROPPING?!' Kushina demands with piercing eyes and twitching brows.

Tsume clicks her tongue, clearly amused at how things are going. Her face breaks into an idiotic grin and shamelessly proclaims with a proud upturn nose 'Since the beginning.'

She really had the nerve to say that and to nonchalantly smile wickedly without collecting sweats on her palms, remaining cheery in spite of the famous Uzumaki's menacing glare and cracking bones of her knuckles. If that is a talent, nobody knows. But there are limits in everything, and knowing this, she blindly starts for a run when Kushina calls her name threateningly—in a low, hoarse voice— with a promise of pain. Death is chasing in the form of red flowing hair, standard shinobi sandals and green flak jacket.

**x:::x**

Kushina annoyingly taps her left foot on the ground, currently pinning the stammering boy across with an impatient look. _Is there a boom in confessing today?! These jerks!_

Her throbbing temple is now hard to ignore, and she tries her dumbest not to wince as she watches the young man of short black hair struggling hard to compose his sentence. She has lost sight of Tsume, that bastard is very good at running, and Kushina is thinking it might be the influence of always being with a dog.

'So, what I'm saying is…ugh, w-would you g—' the man tries but cut off short.

'Okay, listen' Kushina demands stonily, hands on the hips 'Pardon my rudeness, but my answer is a quick NO' she sees his eyes dilate in response and mouth gaping a little. Maybe she shouldn't have to do breaking this someone's heart too abruptly careless. It makes her a little guilty, but she really is in a rush now.

'So if you'll just excuse me, I still have somebody to bea—' he suddenly grabs her arm, making her unable to finish her words.

'Is it because I don't appear handsome to you?' he asks, eyes pleading with an answer and she breathes out irritably 'Ugh, your looks seems fine!'

Then with contorted expression, he asks again 'If not, then you have someone else you like. Damn! You like that Shikaku?!'

'HELL, NO!' she blurts out instantly 'Why would I like that pineapple-head?!'

'Then maybe _that _Fugaku?!'

'IT'S A NO!'

'Aburame?!'

'NOOO!' Kushina wildly shakes her head, angry at how it became a guessing game and why he is so persistent. 'IT'S MINATO, YOU DUMBASS! TRY MENTIONING ANOTHER NAME AND I'LL BEAT YOU HALF TO DEATH!' she threatens with a terrifying couple of fist.

There's a beat of silence. 'Minato?' he repeats in a perplex manner.

'Yeah, yeah' she nods absentmindedly.

'Ugh…'

'What?' she spats.

But he didn't respond, he just stares like an idiot monkey in a motionless stance. Kushina being unluckily impatient, decides to pay a quick look behind which she later regrets doing so.

'So you like me, huh?' cracks the familiar voice with a stupendous easy grin.

Kushina's eyes nearly fall out of sockets in stupid surprise and blinking rapidly after a moment she realizes the guy awhile ago dashed off into the woods in a very spectacular way leaving her behind. _AUGH! THAT BASTARD!_

She hears a clearing of throat. She turns back to face him warily.

'You didn't hear anything!' she declares without actually asking him, she's afraid of the very fact that he really did hear her outburst.

'Oh yeah' he contests, 'But I did hear everything.'

Yup, he really did. The world must be plotting on his side. And maybe it's really his luck.

He has been searching for her for quite some time near the woods when he spotted the particular awful guy, okay not really awful, who's also seemed to be eyeing something. It didn't take long before he realized that it was Kushina he was stalking to.

His Kushina.

And Minato, being such a caring person who cares for the safety of his comrade and for the Konoha as well, followed without a second thought and no, he's not jealous. The guy just looked suspicious, that's all.

He didn't really know what he would be stumbled upon was a confession. Oh, yeah, maybe he already saw it coming because he thinks Kushina is pretty, has long beautiful hair, talented in ninja skills and so much generous with touch—like slaps on the shoulders, kicks on the shin and just some punch on the face.

He smiled lopsidedly in his lurking place, behind the thick evergreen bushes. He's been doing a great job in hiding. But he thought it might be better if he should leave now, after all, every guy's feelings deserve a chance to be heard.

And so he tentatively stepped away a little, like the best ninja he is.

He wasn't prepared though when he heard her ridiculous outburst '_IT'S MINATO…!' _[Let's leave the rest of the dialogue because, well, of it's utter insignificance]

And that's why his grin reaches from ear to ear. He can't help it, knowing that the feeling is mutual.

He is standing proudly in his place, in front of the furiously blushing Kushina who is busy thoughtfully biting her lip. He clears his throat again, determined to find a sensible answer from her in any way. He won't let her run this time, not like _before._

'So' he says, eyes searching hers 'Does this means you're my girlfr-'

'I'LL EAT RAMEN!' she cuts again and the boy across has to blink twice, confuse.

His eyes are beginning to look dejected but she shouts again 'I'LL EAT AND EAT AND EAT UNTIL YOU CAN'T RECOGNIZED ME ANYMORE!'

Her cheeks are flaring red, but her hair is much redder. She looks him straight in the eye for the first time that day, her feet are shifting uneasily 'Is…is that okay?'

Minato being a genius recognized her quite awful answer. He has no idea where did she pick it. But he nods afterwards.

'Yeah, it's fine' a smile lazily creeps on his face until it broke into a grin, victorious and bright 'As long as you're mine.'

And he thinks, while admiring their entwined shadows on the ground, he indeed is very lucky.

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><p>Elsewhere, two giggling sneaky ninjas are lurking in the shadows-namely Tsume and Mikoto- and forever has the bragging rights of telling the romantic tale the couple will be famous for.<p>

**x:::x**

**A/Notes:**

**Thanks a bunch for reading! Let me hear your thoughts :)**


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